Sherie, I do love gerbils but I can't say they are the ideal
classroom pet. They are extremely fast moving so not good to
take out as they will make a break for it. Also you better
ensure the enclosure is never left open by the kids. So they
are not a pet to be handled that much...more one to be
watched. They are very entertaining to watch however they
tend to be up and about most often at dawn and dusk. You will
see them in the daytime but if they don't like the noise of
your class they may keep a very low-profile. They will nip
you if displeased but it's not a big deal. They can be very
squirmy to hold and like I said they will take off. It is
true they don't drink a lot of water and their droppings are
odourless. However the container will smell after about a
week. I find the female container tends to smell a lot more
than the male container. You should use Carefresh or the
equivalent for bedding...there are strong warnings now
against using cedar/pine wood shavings. Finally the bigger
the container the better and they get bored easily so lots of
cardboard to chew and play with (they must always chew or
their teeth get to long). I keep gerbils in a critter tank
(aquarium) that is sized 36 inches long by 18 inches deep and
16 inches high. Be careful when sexing them and don't
believe what you are told...check it out for yourself...so
many people sex them incorrectly when they are young.
Good reference websites are:
http://www.twinsqueaks.com/index.php
http://agsgerbils.org/About/index.php

On 4/02/09, Sherie wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone have gerbils in their classroom? I am
> considering them for next year. I have read that they are
> more friendly than hamsters and don't bite. Also, that
> since they are desert animals, they don't drink as much or
> produce as much liquid waste as other rodents, therefore,
> you don't have to clean the litter as often. I would
> definitely get 2 females (don't need any babies). If you
> have gerbils, what is your set-up for housing?
>
> Thanks,
> Sherie

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